Segmental rotary gang switch with segmented splined cam shafts



July l2, 1966 MlTsuRu MoRolsHl SEGMENTAL ROTARY GANG SWITCH WITH SEGMENTED SPLINED CAM SHAF'TS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 18, 1964 INVENTOR Msaru Malwida' BY M; fW/Ma ATTORNEYS July 124 1966 MlfsuRu MoRcnsHl 3,250,303

SEGMENTL ROTARY GANG SWITCH WITH SEGMENTED SPLINED CAM SHAFTS Filed May 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 49 Mzsam Maroz'hz' l 5- -J Mfg@ MM@ ATTORNEKS' United States Patent O 3,260,803 SEGMENTAL ROTARY GANG SWITCH WITH SEG- MENTED SPLINED CAM SHAFTS Mitsuru Moroishi, 3-15 Shinmeicho, Kasugamachi, Tsukushigun, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Filed May 18, 1964, Ser. No. 368,262 Claims priority, application Japan, July 10, 1963, 38/ 52,097 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-6) This invention relates to a segmental cam-operated rotary gang switch. Conventional rotary gang switches carry a plurality of cams mounted on a single shaft, each cam being positioned to open and close a circuit as the shaft is rotated. The specic number of circuits, and consequently the number of cams and the lengt-h of shaft required to carry said cams, vary with the requirements of the individual user. This makes it necessary for those who deal in such switches to stock shafts of many different lengths.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a segmental rotary gang switch comprising a plurality of separable units, so that as many units as may be needed to suit the demands of a particular customer may be assembled together, thus -avoding any need to keep in stock shafts of different lengths.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a switch having external terminals laterally displaced from the internal contacts opened and closed by the cams so that any sparking which occurs as a consequence of such opening and closing cannot burn the the wires attached to the terminals.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will now be described, purely by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a schematic sectional View taken transversely with respect to the axis of the operating rotor;

FIG. 2 is an end view showing the end provided with the operating handle;

FIG. 3 is an axial section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale taken along the line IV-1V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is also a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3; looking toward the right of FIG. 3, but with the expansion spring removed;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the operating rotor;

FIG. 7 is an axial section taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of one of the connecting bolts, shown partially in section; and

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3 it will be seen that the coupling switch comprises a plurality of separable insulating s-upports 10, each pierced by a central hole 12. A segmented rotor comprises a plurality of segments 11 connected together in a manner which will be hereinafter described and rotatably mounted in the holes 12. Each rotor segment carries a cam 13, having oppositely projecting lobes which act on the rollers 14, 15 to swing the pivotally mounted contacts 16 and 17 away from the fixed contacts 18 and 19 against the resistance of the springs 20 and 21. The springs are prevented from electrically contacting the arms 22, 23 which carry the rollers `and movable contacts, by means of insulating strips 24, 25, attached to the insulating support by means of screws 26, 27.

Each rotor segment is provided at one end with an 3,260,803 Patented July 12, 1966 ICCY axially and internally splined central bore 28 and an axially and externally splined hollow tube 29 projecting from its other end, so that the tube 29 of one segment seats in the bore 28 of the next. The tubes 29 are axially notched, as best seen at 30 in FIG. 4 so that they are radially flexible. An annular spring 31 is seated in a groove which extends around the inside of said tube. This spring exerts a radially outwardly pressure on the tube, so that lwhen a tube 29 is seated in a bore 28 the outer wall of the tube -is biased against the `inner wall of the bore, and the intermeshing axial splines on the bore and tube prevent relative rotation thereof.

The fixed contacts 1'8, 19 are electrically connected by springs 32, 33 to external terminals 34, 35 comprising screw-s 36, 37 threaded into holes in the ends of the bars.

The rotor is turned by means of a handle 38 attached to a shaft 3K9 fixed in a special rotor segment 40 provided lwith an internally splined hole 41 which fits over the tube 29 of the adjacent rotor segment 11. The special rotor segment 40 is protected by a cover 42. This cover carries welded thereto internally threaded tubes 43 which are inserted into holes 44 in the insulating supports 10. The various insulating supports, and a backing plate 45 are held together by bolts 46 which extend through holes 47 in the backing, and through registering holes 44 in the insulating supports, and are secured into the internally threaded tubes 43. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 8, these bolts are themselves divided into segments, each provided yat one end with a threaded projecting pin 48 and at the other with a mating internally threaded recess 49. An ordinary bolt 50 screwed into the last recess completes the assembly.

It will of course be appreciated that this specific em- 38 will turn the rotor -segments 11, which are splined to each other, thus turning the cams 13, and moving the contacts 16 and 17 away from the fixed contacts 18 and 119, whenever the cam-s are positioned to act on the rollers l14, 15. The springs 31 insure a tight tit between the successive rotor segments so the angle of rotation of the handle will agree exactly with that of each rotor segment, no matter how many are connected together, and the fact that the terminals 34, 35 are laterally spaced from the :fixed contacts 18, 19 prevents any burning of the wires attached to those terminals due to sparking at those contacts.

It will of course be appreciated that this specific embodiment has been described purely by way of example and that the details thereof may be modied without thereby departing from the essential features of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch comprising a plurality of insulating supports provided with registering rotor and bolt holes, each support being provided with at least one fixed contact and movable contact means mounted for movement into and out of Contact with said fixed contact, a rotor segment for each insulating support dimensioned to tit in the rotor hole thereof, each -rotor segment being provided with cam means for acting on said movable contact means, each rotor segment comprising at one end a tubular portion provided with internal axial splines and at its other end an axially split radially expansible tubular portion provided with mating axially extending external splines, and resilient means biasing said axially slit tubular portion radially outward, said rotor segments being separably but drivingly engaged with each other by insertion of said externally splined tubes within said internally splined tubes, and segmental bolt means comprising a separate segment for each insulating support, said segmental bolt means being received in said bolt holes and holding said supports together.

2. A switch as claimed in claim 1 comprising also a handle separably but drivingly connected to one of said rotor segments.

3. A switch as claimed in claim 1 comprising an electrical terminal laterally spaced from but electrically connected to said xed contact, and in which said rotor segments are rotatable in said insulating supports through an angle of 360.

4. A switch as claimed in claim l in which each segment comprises at one end an internally threaded tubular portion and at the other end an externally threaded pin.

5. A switch segment comprising an insulating support providing with at least two holes extending through it, at least one fixed contact and at least one movable contact mounted on said support, a rotor slidably mounted within one of said holes, a cam carried by said rotor and movable into a position in which it holds said movable contact against said fixed contact, and resilient means biasing said movable contact away from said fixed contact, said rotor comprising a tubular portion at each end, one of said tubular portions being internally and axially splined while the other is externally and axially splined,

4f said other tubular portion being axially slit and provided with internally positioned resilient means which bias the walls thereof radially outward.

6. A rotor segment for a switch, said segment being provided with a central cam and a tubular portion at each end, one of said tubular portions being internally and axially splined while the other is externally and axially splined, said other tubular portion being axially slit and provided with internally positioned resilient means which bias the walls thereof radially outward.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,503 5/1943 Glogau 20D-6 2,460,147 1/1949 Rappl 287-53 2,588,632 3/1952 Jeffrey 200-6 2,912,527 ll/ 1959 Naimer 2006 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Examiner.

I. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SWITCH COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INSULATING SUPPORTS PROVIDED WITH REGISTERING ROTOR AND BOLT HOLES, EACH SUPPORT BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE FIXED CONTACT AND MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID FIXED CONTACT, A ROTOR SEGMENT FOR EACH INSULATING SUPPORT DIMENSIONED TO FIT IN THE ROTOR HOLE THEREOF, EACH ROTOR SEGMENT BEING PROVIDE WITH CAM MEANS FOR ACTING ON SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS, EACH ROTOR SEGMENT COMPRISING AT ONE END A TUBULAR PORTION PROVIDED WITH INTERNAL AXIAL SPLINES AND AT ITS OTHER END AN AXIALLY SPLIT RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE TUBULAR PORTION PROVIDED WITH MATING AXIALLY EXTENDING EXTERNAL SPLINES, AND RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID AXIALLY SLIT TUBULAR PORTION RADIALLY OUTWARD, SAID ROTOR SEGMENTS BEING SEPARABLY BUT DRIVINGLY ENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER BY INSERTION OF SAID EXTERNALLY SPLINED TUBES WITHIN SAID INTERNALLY SPLINED TUBES, AND SEGMENTAL BOLT MEANS COMPRISING A SEPARATE SEGMENT FOR EACH INSULATING SUPPORT, SAID SEGMENTAL BOLT MEANS BEING RECEIVED IN SAID BOLT HOLES AND HOLDING SAID SUPPORTS TOGETHER. 